Validation & Verification
PV Climate
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Plan Vivo’s validation and verification process ensures that projects meet PV Climate requirements and are of the highest-quality.
During a validation or verification, a PV Climate approved independent auditor reviews a project’s documents and visits the site to check that what’s happening on the ground matches what’s been planned and reported. They look at things like how activities are carried out, how carbon benefits are measured, and how communities are involved. A public report is then produced, confirming whether the project meets PV Climate’s requirements and can move forward or issue certificates.
Validation is the independent review that checks a planned activities before the project can be PV Climate certified, whereas Verification assesses whether a certified project is delivering its expected emissions reductions and continues to meet PV Climate requirements.
For more information, see our Validation & Verification Requirements and Validation & Verification Procedures Manual:
VVBs
Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) are responsible for carrying out project validations and verifications under PV Climate. To ensure consistency, quality, and trust across biodiversity projects, all VVBs must be approved by Plan Vivo before undertaking any validation or verification activities.
Accreditation helps confirm that VVBs are competent, impartial, and qualified to assess climate outcomes, reducing risk and supporting confidence in the voluntary carbon market.
Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) must be accredited to recognised third-party standards (such as UNFCCC-CDM Designated Operational Entity status or ISO 14065 accreditation covering forestry and land-use activities) before they can begin validation or verification work under PV Climate.
Interested VVBs must submit the relevant documents to: projects@planvivofoundation.org in order to become an approved VVB.
*The application form and other relevant documents are available below.
The following is also required:
- Evidence of accreditation
- Curriculum Vitae of all lead Auditors and essential team members, including training and skills; or Qualification Reports from the Qualification Committee for the technical area of AFOLU and the internal procedure of the VVB to evaluate the validator's/verifier's competence.
- Evidence of professional service liability insurance.
A full list of VVBs that are approved to conduct project validations and verifications is available here: Approved VVBs
Independent Experts
Microscale projects (generating <10,000 t/CO2eq per year) may opt to contract Independent Experts to conduct site visits for validations and/or verifications, with Plan Vivo overseeing the overall validation process. Independent Experts must be approved by Plan Vivo before any project audits can take place.
Independent Experts must have the following qualifications and skills:
- Education - Bachelors’ degree or higher in a subject relevant to the evaluation
- Work Experience - At least five (5) years of work experience in a field related to the project type
- Professional qualifications (at least one of the options outlined): Successful completion of the Plan Vivo Independent Expert Training including a Plan Vivo Independent Expert Exam (mandatory if none of the other options apply); Existing certification in relevant GHG accounting for forest and land-use projects, such as GHGMI; Evidence of relevant training for other Forest Carbon Standards; Membership in relevant professional associations.
- Country-specific knowledge/language skills
- Interviewing, listening, and observing skills
- Sensitivity towards socio-economic matters and also environmental and social safeguards
- No prior auditing experience is required to become an approved Plan Vivo Independent Expert and approval for Independent Expert status will be handled on a case-by-case basis by PVF.
Independent Experts (IEs) can be individuals or teams of experts proposed by projects or applying to Plan Vivo directly. We require a Curriculum Vitae and evidence of qualifications. This will be assessed against the required expertise outlined in Section 5.1 in the Validation and Verification Guidance Manual.
The relevant documents needed to apply are available below. Applications are to be emailed to projects@planvivofoundation.org
If an Independent Expert has no prior relevant qualifications relating to forest carbon audits, their approval is based on training administered by Plan Vivo to ensure that approved Independent Experts in the Plan Vivo roster have the same level of knowledge and expertise and to ensure a threshold for quality of validation and verification site visits. Plan Vivo reserves the right to mandate specific training in areas where the Independent Expert has not demonstrated sufficient experience to certify projects, or to remove active site auditor status when reports of site visits are not completed in a satisfactory manner.
All IEs are required to schedule at least 3 information sessions with Plan Vivo before carrying out individual audits. These include:
- Training on PV Climate and relevant documentation.
- Training on the Validation and Verification guidance and V&V templates.
- Project-specific information prior to site visits, especially how to develop an audit plan (to be completed once the IE has been contracted for a site visit).
A Conflict of Interest (COI) form must be submitted to Plan Vivo when an Independent Expert is contracted for a site visit.
Please consult the Validation and Verification Guidance Manual for further details.
The cost of validation and verification audits to the project will include the cost of contracting the Independent Expert (paid directly to the Independent Expert), in addition to a validation and verification review fee raised by Plan Vivo. See more in costs & fees.
A full list of Independent Experts that are approved to conduct project validations and verifications (for microscale PV Climate projects) is available here: PV Climate - Approved Independent Experts
FAQs
Validation is a third party audit which checks that a project is following its Project Design Document (PDD) and meeting the rules of PV Climate before it can be registered and issue certificates. All Validation Reports are made publicly available.
Verification assesses whether a certified project is delivering its expected emissions reductions and continues to meet PV Climate requirements. Verification is required within five years of a project's certification and at least every five years after that. All Verification Reports are made publicly available.
Projects must contract either a Plan Vivo‑approved Validation and Verification Body (VVB) or an approved Independent Expert (IE) to carry out audits, depending on project size and eligibility.
A VVB is an accredited third‑party organisation approved by Plan Vivo to independently review and confirm that project activities and reported benefits align with PV Climate. VVBs must hold recognised accreditation (e.g., ISO14065 or UNFCCC‑CDM) before they can begin validation or verification work. VVBs are able to carry out audits on any size or type of project.
An Independent Expert can be an individual or team with relevant qualifications and experience who conducts site visits and audits for microscale (generating <10,000 t/CO2eq per year) projects. Independent Experts must meet specific education and professional criteria and are approved and supported by Plan Vivo.
- Microscale (smaller) projects (typically <10,000 tCO₂e/year) can use an Independent Expert for validation and verification, with oversight from Plan Vivo.
- Macroscale (larger) projects must use an approved VVB for both validation and verification.
Yes — Independent Experts must have relevant education, experience, and often complete Plan Vivo’s training. VVB teams must have accredited competency in greenhouse gas auditing and compliance.
If audits identify areas where a project isn’t meeting requirements, Corrective Action Requests (CARs) are issued with defined deadlines, and progress is monitored until compliance is achieved.
Yes both validation and verification audit reports are published to ensure transparency and confidence for project partners, buyers, and stakeholders. Reports are available on a respective project's page on the Plan Vivo website.
Validation and verification help make sure PV Climate projects are adhering to the Standard's robust requirements. By having independent experts review project plans, data, and on-the-ground activities, Plan Vivo can confirm that the benefits delivered by a project are real and additional, and that requirements are being followed.
